British scientists believe they have come up with the answer to what wehave always suspected: That going to work makes you ill. They believethat even the mere sight of the office is enough to trigger depression,headaches and a cold.The classic Monday-morning feeling that makes people want to stay in bedrather than get up for work may not be just imagination but a real ailmenttriggered by the workplace.'Triggers' could include sounds and smells, particularly in factories fromheavy machinery or flashing lights, or merely the sight of an office building.The research, funded by the Health and Safety Executive, will also comparelevels of illness in industrial places of work with those in offices.Companies taking part will have to keep a detailed diary over the courseof the year, recording frequency and severity of illnesses, as well asinformation about jobs and type of work.Of those taking part, a smaller group of 25 people will be asked to providesaliva swabs, which will be tested for the chemical cortisol, a naturalsteroid hormone produced in the body.This will give researchers the means to study any chemical change involunteers' immune systems which may be caused by the working environment.

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About this blog

Hello. I am Lee Chee Chew, creator of the comics strip CHEW ON IT!, published in The Sunday Times in Singapore. Welcome to my archive. Here you can view my past works, plus stuff that have never been printed before.

But the main purpose of this blog is to provide constant assistance to Phung Thien Nhan, a Vietnamese boy.

Abandoned at birth and left to die, Thien Nhan was mauled by a dog which bit off his right leg, testicles and penis. He was adopted by a Vietnamese family in Hanoi, and is now seeking sponsors to help pay for his medical care, rehabilitation and education.

The first thing I did after reading about Thien Nhan was to make a donation (and it certainly won't be my only one). I sincerely hope that you will do the same too.

HOW TO DONATE #1

HOW TO DONATE #2

If you are unable to access the bank in Vietnam or do not have PayPal, you can do a bank wire transfer to me (either online or use a DBS/POSBank ATM) or pass me the cash in person at my workplace (Singapore Press Holdings). I will then forward the fund to Thien Nhan via my PayPal account. I will update this blog with your name and donation amount every time a contribution has been made.